An optical connector is used to connect an optical fiber to another optical fiber or an optical communication module so as to allow optical communication therebetween. For example, an optical connector provided at a leading end of an optical fiber cable is mounted to an optical adapter (or optical receptacle, hereinafter, the same applies), to thereby connect the optical fiber cable and another optical fiber cable or an optical communication module to each other so as to allow optical communication therebetween.
As one kind of optical connector, there is known the optical connector including the locking lever for preventing the optical connector from coming off the optical adapter (for example, Patent Literature 1). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 14, an optical connector 1 of this kind includes a ferrule 11, a housing 12 holding the ferrule 11 therein, and a locking lever 13 extending rearward and obliquely upward from a top surface of the housing 12. When the optical connector 1 is mounted to an optical adapter 2 (indicated by a chain line of FIG. 14), an interlocking portion 13a of the locking lever 13 and the optical adapter 2 are engaged with each other, to thereby prevent the optical connector 1 from coming off the optical adapter 2. In this state, when pressing the locking lever 13 from above, the interlocking portion 13a of the locking lever 13 and the optical adapter 2 are disengaged from each other, and thus it is possible to detach the optical connector 1 from the optical adapter 2.
However, under a state in which the optical connector 1 is mounted to the optical adapter 2, most of the locking lever 13 is housed in the optical adapter 2, and hence it is difficult to press the locking lever 13 from above when detaching the optical connector 1. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 14, an operation lever 14 extending forward and obliquely upward is sometimes provided rearward of the locking lever 13. By pressing the operation lever 14 from above, a front end portion of the operation lever 14 presses a rear end portion of the locking lever 13 down, and thus the interlocking portion 13a of the locking lever 13 and the optical adapter 2 can be disengaged from each other.